


Burnt and Freezing

by Sacramental_Wine



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Porn in Later Chapters, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-26
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-12 23:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/496911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sacramental_Wine/pseuds/Sacramental_Wine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set Before "Partners". A frozen face from a time long before the war, long before the fall of Cybertron, returns to Starscream's life. Can things go back to the way they were before? After all these changes? Should they even try?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Ice

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my very first fic in this fandom and on this site and I'm very excited. Steve the Eradicon of course belongs to the Transformers: Prime Fandom; the great many artists and writers who have created his character for Starsceam to slap around and I hopefully will do him justice.
> 
> Please Enjoy

It was faint. The subtle life sign making itself known in the radar pulse of Soundwave’s visor was struggling across Earth’s geomagnetic field to make a plea for acknowledgement. It was barely there, making a last push, and right before Starscream’s optics. “You found someone? Can you pinpoint their location?” the Seeker asked, observing the blip as it struggled on the screen and resolutely ignoring the resonating footsteps signaling Megatron’s approach.

Soundwave quickly ran the calculations to bring up a close approximation of the coordinates before Megatron came to observe. Studying the visor carefully, the warlord turned to his second, “Investigate and bring Soundwave. It could be useful.”

Grumbling, Starscream stalked off the bridge with the Third in Command following silently behind as they assembled three Eradicons (Starscream loved making the nervous one tag along any chance he got, the entertainment was endless) and moved quickly toward the flight deck. It was probably nothing, a false alarm or the fading vestiges of an Eradicon left behind during an energon raid. A useless signal sounding across the empty expanse of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Barking orders at the attending Eradicon the ground-bridge opened in a swirl of green and blue. Frost licked phantom stripes against his wings as he drew closer to the gate and a shiver coursed through his plating. Fantastic, he’s commanded on a wild scraplet chase so of course it had to be in circuitry freezing temperatures. Steeling himself he motioned for everyone to shift form and burst through the portal.

The world swirled around them as they shot from the dark interior of the Nemesis to the eternal white expanse of the arctic with only the sound of wind clutching to their wings and the lonely beep of Soundwave’s radar to hint at intelligent life attempting to make its way through the snow flakes. “Get searching!” the Seeker groused, breaking formation to search his own way.

The Eradicons sped off ahead of their commanders along the snowy ground; each patched into the radar readings Soundwave was transmitting. The incessant beeping grew more rapid with each klick eastward. The drones commed each other over the private channel, chattering daringly over the wind as their superior officers dutifully ignored their existence.

“Commander Starscream is gonna scrap each and everyone of us if this turns out to be a fluke.”

“You know he hates the cold.”

“Shut up Steve. You’ll be the first one he goes after and you know it.”

“Frag you too Bob.”

“How about both of you stop babbling like sparklings and start paying attention. Soundwave broke rank and we had better catch up.”

Rushing to follow their commander; Steve, Bob, and George drove toward the ice bank ahead of them. Banking left and shifting just before they hit the wall they watched as Soundwave cocked his head at a large ice wall and the calculations popped up on his visor.

Steve contented himself with watching the graceful Seeker swirl along a rogue air current before gracefully landing in a puff of white. Commander Starscream was always a pleasure to watch, particularly when he was flying. Turning he saw Bob elbow George and they snickered over their com-link. This snickering was resolutely ignored with a stern ‘I hate you both’ sent directly to them.

The Second in Command followed Soundwave’s (approximate) gaze and walked to the imposing wall of ice. He gently laid a talon on the ice, a strange notion overtaking him that maybe he could feel the dying rumbles of an engine or the last vestiges of an EM field reaching towards his own. Cupping his digits, Starscream peered through the translucent ice and caught the meager sunlight glinting teasingly over white plating to catch on the red leading edge of a wing. The plating and wings conjured up a long buried memory of blue optics in the dim glow of lab lighting that sent a hot shiver through his spark.

Clearing his throat the Seeker turned to the drones. “There is something…someone in there after all. Melt it enough to transport to the Nemesis and be careful about it!” He said, vocoder clicking in barely contained shock. The shivering was still coursing through his spark. “Make it quick as well, before I rust.”

The Eradicons set to work quickly, Starscream screeching the whole time and whacking them at random intervals if he felt they got careless with their blasters. Even with the constant interruption they managed to cut a passable outline around the larger than life mech, the features clearer now away from the thicker parts of the ice. He was huge, at least as big as Lord Megatron if not more so and with a protective mask engaged, grey metal covering his lip-plates and a blue visor hiding his optics. The red-white-and-blue mech was impressive indeed and George whistled into the wind. “Didn’t think they made ‘em that big anymore,” he said over the link.

Only Soundwave noticed the wide-eyed look of awe that overtook the Seeker’s face-plates as he gazed upon the mech. Optics wide and searching as he whispered, “Skyfire,” into the vast, empty landscape crushing against his chassis making him cycle air more quickly than he was used too. Soundwave commed back to base for a pick up and to prepare the med bay for their extra large visitor; judging by Starscream’s reaction they were going to get no peace until this mech either woke or proved to be dead on the service record.

 

~01001100011011110111011001100101~

 

When Knockout had been told to prep the med bay for an exceptionally large Cybertronian he had been expecting someone about Breakdown or Megatron’s size, not THIS. No THIS was barely able to get through the door since the wing span was so wide, the wings were frozen in an active position, and Starscream practically refused to leave the mech’s side; shrieking at anyone who tried to pry him away long enough to get the other flyer (ostensibly a shuttle, but Knockout hadn’t gotten close enough to look yet) in the door. “Starscream, is this really necessary? The drones are more than capable of escorting our guest in without your particular brand of supervision,” he said, watching Starscream smack the nervous one in the face for bumping the mech’s leg against the door frame. Thankfully, no Soundwave in sight to make this more awkward.

Steve really didn’t mind it when Starscream took bottled emotions out on him, it kind of made him feel a little important, but something had to be seriously distressing for the commander to actually listen to Knockout and back off. Watching Starscream’s wings lightly droop sent a pang of bitterness through the drone that he couldn’t comfort the Seeker. For once Bob and George chose to remain silent as they managed to wrestle the gigantic flyer into a berth with Breakdown’s much needed assistance.

Starscream practically rushed to Skyfire’s side to watch as Knockout began tinkering with the berth-side machines and patching them into the shuttle to take the necessary readings. “Good thing he was found when he was, it’s amazing his spark managed to hold out at all. Wonder how long he was there,” Knockout said to no one in particular as he pressed the latch to manually retract Skyfire’s safety mask. “Handsome too,” the sports car said with a smirk hinting the edges of his tone. He waved a hand to dismiss the drones and the nervous one only hesitated a moment before following his comrades. Was it him or was that drone reaching to touch the Seeker?

The Seeker spared Knockout a glare before staring back down at those familiar face-plates. Remembering the smile on that face when they made even a small step forward in their research in their eternally poorly lit laboratory made it hard to resist crowing in joy or reaching out to touch him. Skyfire had been gone for so long, long enough to not see the beginning of the war, long enough to have not seen what tipped Starscream’s decision in favor of the Decepticons; oh Primus the thought made something in his spark ache. “Will he recover fully?”

“There shouldn’t be any problems, he went into stasis quickly enough to preserve his circuitry though flying will be out of the question for a while. Why the interest herr commandant?” Knockout said, looking up from his datapad to smirk at the flyer across from him. Breakdown ignored the other two mechs entirely; he knew better than to get in between their spats (knowing them Knockout’s teasing could escalate quickly into the Seeker screeching in indignation) lest Starscream decide to take his hurt pride out on him too. He would already be getting the brunt of Knockout’s ire later for not standing up for him but a good buffing after the inevitable scratches would put him in a better mood.

“Not that it’s any of your business but I knew him before the war,” Starscream replied, raising an optic ridge at the doctor. “We worked together.”

“Vague. Alright then, we’ll make sure to call you when he wakes up. For now you should probably retire to your berth and recharge; this will take a while,” Knockout said, dismissing the Second in Command. He watched as Starscream reluctantly turned on his heel and slunk out the door, wings drooping low. Turning his attention back to the shuttle on the table and taking in the lack of either an Autobot or Decepticon sigil on his plating the sports car hummed in thought. “You’ll just have to tell me all the embarrassing stories you know about our resident head case when you wake up.”


	2. Data Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time notes:  
> Cycle = 12 hours  
> Joor = 1 Hour

Starscream didn’t fall into recharge when he returned to his quarters (“Doctor’s orders you know, I’ll report next cycle.” Soundwave seemed less than amused). No, he lay in his berth; wings flared out behind him as he stared at the wall. It had been ages since he had tapped into his memory files of the shuttle; the hundreds of thousands of years since his disappearance had dragged on his spark in a way that made the memories more painful than they should have been. He called up the files every so often, mostly when he had to escape the worst of his…trysts with Megatron but that hadn’t happened in Primus knows when.

The Seeker huffed out a strong vent of air before sitting up. Those memories are still hard to access without feeling Skyfire’s absence acutely even with the knowledge that said mech is in the med bay at the moment. Distantly, Starscream wondered if Skyfire’s memory files had been damaged at all. Would the shuttle remember the hours they spent experimenting with alien genetic material? That first clumsy joke told to break the ice right before their first lecture together at the academy (“A bot walks into a bar. It hurt.” Primus that was terrible. It can still make him laugh) or the first time they studied together? Would he recall that strange little noise that Skyfire had made when Starscream decided to kiss the much larger mech the first time?

A loud knock at the door to his quarters knocked him rudely from his reverie. The Seeker stalked to the door and pounded the control panel. “What?” he growled as the door opened only to be faced with the nervous Eradicon he picked for missions holding a tray with an energon cube on it. The drone jumped at his harsh tone and shivered a little before offering the tray to him.

“You um did not get your usual rations when we returned from the mission, Commander Starscream. I wanted to bring it to you incase you were too tired,” Steve said, looking anywhere but at the Seeker. This was stupid and presumptuous but he just wanted to make the beautiful commander feel just a little better since he was so distressed in the med bay. “I’m very sorry for disturbing you,” he continued nervously, talons clicking against the tray.

Starscream grabbed the cube and looked directly into the drone’s visor. “It has been a rough day, perhaps I was hasty. What is your designation, soldier? I should keep you in mind for other missions since you did well today,” Starscream said, taking a sip from the cube. The drone practically shook himself apart as he looked for the proper response. This sort of thing was endlessly entertaining and at least got his mind off the shuttle.

“Um m-my serial number is…”

“Not that, what do you call yourself? You cannot expect me to remember something as inconsequential as your serial number.”

“Steve, Sir,” the drone finally answered looking away. His talons twitched nervously. Starscream finally, finally, knew his name and could ask for him without needing to check a data pad. The knowledge sent a strong pulse of happiness through his neural net. If he had a mouth to smile with he’d be grinning like an idiot.

Apparently, however, Steve hadn’t noticed that he had just been staring at Starscream absently (as far as the Seeker could tell) for far longer than seemingly appropriate or comfortable. Also, apparently, Starscream had been attempting to dismiss the drone and the sound of his commander’s voice hadn’t broken through the happy haze to actually be heard. The slap came as a surprise.

“Are you glitching? You. Are. Dismissed!” the Seeker shouted into his auditory sensors. Steve shot up straight and nodded his helm before Starscream retreated to his room. “Don’t expect a thank you, Steve,” Starscream said before slamming the door control to shut it tightly. Steve turned to walk towards the Eradicon dormitory, tray almost crushed in his servos in wonder. Starscream had said his name.

The Seeker finished the energon cube slowly. His levels had been low since their return and it was a kind gesture but not enough to really get his mind off of the med bay. “I cannot fall into recharge and I’m not due to report until next cycle so I may as well go back,” he said to himself. It had barely been more than five joors since he was sent back to his room. Patience, however, was thrown to the wayside as Starscream exited his chambers and walked straight back to the medical bay with wings held high.

He wasn’t expecting Megatron to be there. Nor was he expecting Soundwave. Both whipped around to look at him when he entered and his wings drooped slightly. He could handle Knockout and Breakdown would have been welcome to a degree, but he wasn’t expecting this. “Visiting the patient? How abnormally caring of you Starscream,” Megatron said, turning his gaze back to the white mech on the berth. Soundwave simply cocked his head and turned away to a near by terminal; having tracked down some of Skyfire’s records and he presented them to Megatron. The warlord leaned over the spy’s shoulder and briefly took in some of the finer details. “How would you know such an accomplished scientist?”

Starscream huffed and subconsciously inched closer to Skyfire; taking note that his vitals were very good and at this rate he could be awake sooner rather than later. “We attended the Science Academy together in our youth, my Lord,” he replied coolly. It was enough of an answer, not a lie and not incriminating. Megatron looked him over before turning back to the file. Starscream cycled a vent of air slowly before looking back down at Skyfire. Primus Skyfire looked like he would wake up at any minute and hug him and attempt to make him sink back into recharge with gentle kisses along his wings and… Starscream shook his head to clear it, not the time to be tracing his memory files.

“Scientists are always an asset, often an overlooked one, but an asset none the less. You will convince him to our side then,” Megatron said, standing straight to look down at his Second. There was something wrong with his posture, that longing look barely hidden in his optics. Megatron would simply have to observe until the truth presented itself at an advantageous time.

The Seeker snorted derisively. Of course he would bring Skyfire to their side; Skyfire would become his Second when he inevitably became the Decepticon leader! Skyfire also knew nothing about the war so it should be simple enough. “Of course,” Starscream said, ignoring the desire to touch Skyfire in Megatron’s presence. He felt the warlord’s gaze on him and schooled his posture into its usual mixture of distaste and cunning if only to make the tension less palpable. Knockout, thankfully, could always be counted on for his impeccable timing and came back into the med bay in a noisy flurry of over emphasized hand motion and self satisfaction.

“Ah good, you’re all here,” Knockout said before flicking on a datapad. “Good news, I can bring him out of stasis right now. He won’t be able to leave the med bay until he’s been checked over but I can bring him online to say hello,” the doctor purred, locking optics with Starscream. When the Seeker chose to ignore him he felt the urge to tease rise up in his processor but it was better to wait for Megatron not to be around. The warlord barely tolerated his antics to begin with.

Megatron chuckled and waved his hand. “Get on with it then,” he said. Soundwave turned away from the console to watch the proceedings. He couldn’t help but wonder if this Skyfire was still functional after all that time buried in ice.

Starscream completely ignored everyone else in the room as he watched Knockout begin to tinker with the stasis controls. He practically vibrated in shock and anticipation as he felt the familiar EM field tentatively reach out to brush against his. Then those blue optics opened for the first time in millennia and focused on his face. The Seeker swallowed sharply to avoid saying anything as the shuttle smiled and the last vestiges of stasis-lock shook away from his frame. Starscream hadn’t even noticed his own servo had migrated to the berth before a larger one gripped it gently. His first instinct was to pull his talons away from the once familiar touch but then Skyfire opened his mouth and that deep voice rolled over Starscream’s frame like nothing had changed.

“Starscream? Where are we?”

And it didn’t matter so much anymore that everyone was watching his hand being held by this behemoth because the first thing he said in hundreds of thousands of years was the Seeker’s name.


	3. Memories

Soundwave recorded the whole exchange impassively. As with any interaction between anyone it could be important to have it on the record. The shuttle struggled mightily to sit up; servo still grasping Starscream’s talons. His unnecessary movement warranted Knockout’s intervention to attempt to push the larger mech back to the berth. “You are in the medical bay aboard the Nemesis and your physician, that would be me I’m Knockout by the way, is telling you to remain still until the scanner clears you to move,” Knockout said through a huff, not strong enough to push Skyfire down without help. The shuttle looked back to Starscream who simply nodded and then he obliged the smaller mech by laying back.

“Am I in that bad of shape?” Skyfire asked with a smile. The shuttle looked over his intended mate with worry. Starscream seemed strangely quiet; his optics filled with some strange emotion and his talons were shivering in Skyfire’s servo. Maybe he was upset since Skyfire had clearly been injured in some way after the exploration debacle. It had to have taken more than a few cycles to find him in this backwater system. Skyfire suddenly felt his spark twist with guilt; the poor Seeker had probably been fretting over his well being for Primus knew how long. He was probably in trouble for making his high-strung lover even minutely uncomfortable. “I’m okay, really Star! Just a little stiff in the joints but we can go home as soon as I’m released from here,” Skyfire said, squeezing his Seeker’s servo gently. A wing massage would probably put him back in Starscream’s good graces quickly once he got the chance; it usually worked.

Starscream was trying so hard to find the words to explain what had happened but nothing sounded from his vocorder. How could he explain that home was no longer there? That the science academy had considered Skyfire dead and refused to use dwindling resources to find him? That the long, long years that had passed pushed Starscream into the military and ultimately led to his position among the Decepticons; all while making him far more bitter than he had originally been? Skyfire just smiled and stroked his wrist while he tried to extricate the words from their place deep in his processor.

Megatron’s low rumbling chuckle is what finally broke the silence. “I’m afraid to tell you that it is most likely that your home is no longer there. Cybertron is no more thanks to the Autobots,” the warlord lied. Starscream would have been impressed with how fluid it was if he wasn’t taking in the horrified look on Skyfire’s face. “However, we are learning to make a life for ourselves off world even though Optimus Prime stops us at each turn.” Soundwave made sure that each word was going on the record, best to maintain the deception. “I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, and you are aboard my ship after having been rescued by Soundwave and Starscream,” Megatron continued lowly; indicating Soundwave as to introduce him. The old mech could still be charismatic when he made the attempt.

Skyfire turned from Megatron to Starscream in order to get confirmation. The Seeker nodded and Skyfire looked back at the grey mech standing off to the side. “If I may, sir, Autobots? Decepticons? There was a new Prime chosen? How long was I gone for?” Skyfire asked.

“Far longer than you should have been,” Starscream finally said, vocorder cracking slightly. “Those idiot slaggers refused to send a search party after you when you did not return on time. They clearly forgot how brilliant a scientist you are and decided you were disposable,” he growled, clenching his digits around Skyfire’s servo. The shuttle’s shocked gaze started to soften as he reached up to touch Starscream but the Seeker pulled back and shook his helm. It wouldn’t do to have an intimate moment with everyone watching. “You’ve missed quite a lot, Skyfire.” He ignored the feeling that he was soon going to be punished for interrupting.

Skyfire looked at the mechs around him. Starscream had never been good with publicly displaying affection. Perhaps the Seeker was this ship’s scientist now and these were his commanding officers; though it was unlikely his Seeker followed orders very well. Star still looked upset and really all he wanted was to be alone with him to calm him down or to at least find out more about the current situation. “I’m sorry,” Skyfire said suddenly. The red mech, Knockout, looked between the two fliers and suddenly a smirk stretched itself across his face.

“Lord Megatron,” the doctor began, “I feel as though Skyfire should rest a bit more before being fed more information. There will be plenty of time to introduce him to the new world around him, don’t you think?”

Megatron seemed to think this over. He still had to go over the recording Soundwave was inevitably making of these moments to figure out his Second’s strangely caring behavior as well as find a place for Skyfire among the crew. “Very well, we will take our leave. Soundwave with me and Starscream, you are to report in three joors,” he said before turning on his heel and leaving. Soundwave nodded and left quietly as ever and the tension snapped in the room with Knockout’s laugh.

Starscream vented a relieved huff of air before he felt lip plates against his talons. Skyfire looked up from his position on the berth with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry Star, I just couldn’t wait anymore. I just wish I could stand up to greet you as I should,” Skyfire rumbled softly and Starscream averted his gaze, biting down his smile. Of course Knockout ruined it with an ill timed whistle.

“Well, well, well! I never knew big bots were your thing Starscream,” Knockout teased. The Seeker had never mentioned a mate or even a lover lurking in the universe; though Starscream was strangely private about his own history if nothing else so it made some sense that this wasn’t common knowledge. Just watching the Seeker have his proverbial feathers ruffled was enough to quell any sort of lingering curiosity the doctor had though.

Starscream simply huffed and turned his attention back to Skyfire. “Pay that idiot no mind and don’t apologize,” he said, “when will Skyfire be free to leave, Knockout?”

 

“As soon as his final scan checks out. Then we’ll have to get quarters set up for him…unless of course you’d prefer the private time?” Knockout said. Oh the shuttle blushes easily too! The idea of so much fun at the expense of the two fliers was just too good not to get excited over. Starscream simply snorted and waved his hand.

“If I am to be discreet you should learn a lesson from it. Pretending as though I didn’t catch you mid-interface a dozen cycles ago doesn’t help your argument,” the Seeker countered. The ground-pounder was not going to work his way under his armor on the day the best thing to happen to him happened to return safe and sound. “Besides, you’re the type that likes to watch.” Of course that line was met with a wide-eyed look of shock from Skyfire but the suddenly rebuttal-less doctor was enough for him.

Skyfire, clearly having enough of being embarrassed for the moment, finally decided to speak up. “Doctor, could you let us have a moment alone?” he asked, trying not to let the embarrassment show on his faceplates. It was going to be followed by some lewd comment of that he was sure but the risk could be worth the reward if it got him a moment to reaffirm some things.

Knockout just laughed. “No strenuous activity until the scan is finished,” he teased waving a finger before Starscream slapped his hand away. With a huff he turned on his heel. “Fine, I’ll give you some time then. Best not upset the commander after all.” And with that he exited the med bay to find Breakdown and inform him of the wonderful, exciting, interesting turn of events.

Skyfire vented a sigh of relief before running a servo along the outer edge of Starscream’s wing. “Sorry to dismiss your friend I just feel like I have a lot of time to make up for, you know?” Skyfire asked, making sure he had the other flier’s optics before continuing. “I’m sorry I missed the ceremony. I know it must have been hard for you and I can’t even begin to say how…”

“If you apologize one more time I’ll actually kill you,” Starscream interrupted. He had cancelled the ceremony when it became overtly apparent that Skyfire would not be returning. It had confused his other friends at the time but the message that had been sent was crystal clear. Skywarp would probably have a fit knowing Skyfire was alive; and Starscream would have a fit if Skywarp also showed up this week.

Skyfire just chuckled at the threat. “You always know just what to say Star,” he said finally placing his gigantic servo on his mate’s face. “Did you miss me?”  
Starscream simply nodded. “It has been a long time. A lot has changed.” I have changed went unspoken but implied. Skyfire shrugged and pulled the Seeker a bit closer.

“Allow me to attempt to awkwardly woo you again, in that case,” he murmured before placing a kiss on his Seeker’s lip plates. The chuckle he got in response was worth all the missed time in the world as Starscream returned the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter


	4. Camera

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! And sorry it's so short

Soundwave replayed the videos more than was healthy or recommended. There was a pattern forming between Starscream and Skyfire over the past weeks. Starscream spent a lot of time in the labs observing the larger bot or conversing with him. On the other end of the spectrum; Skyfire would walk Starscream to his quarters at the end of his cycles and stay there for a joor or two before leaving. Nothing incriminating but out of character and clearly troubling. He wanted to be able to pinpoint something, anything, that could give him useful information and justify his sudden misgivings about the mammoth mech’s strange power over the second-in-command. Starscream had never been this quiet for this long without having something insidious or unwise planned.

Finally after looking frame by frame there it was; that strange disturbance that had put Soundwave on his guard. Skyfire’s too sure fingers grazing along the leading edge of the Seeker’s wing. The closeness and strange familiarity of those intimate movements were just not what anyone would associate with their vitriolic commander. But it wasn’t anything worth telling Megatron…yet. 

 

~011100110110010101111000~

 

Skyfire was too busy talking about his project to notice the sudden turn of a security camera focusing on him. “Lord Megatron has me studying the make-up of the local flora but I’m confused as to why he hasn’t had me study the fauna as well. I mean the plants here are interesting but I was sure there would be a sentient species here by now besides us,” he said as Starscream handed him a dissection tool for his current sample. “I’d bet the creatures here have a fascinating structure based on the lesser organic life forms.” He sat in front of his work station heavily and began to work carefully to make the slides he required.

Starscream snorted and leaned over Skyfire’s shoulder to watch him work. “You know this is far from my area of expertise, Skyfire. Organics are your preferred area of study,” he said. The past weeks with the shuttle had made Starscream happier than he had been in eons. Skyfire had been serious about going through the process of “wooing” him all over again and hadn’t made a move besides kisses and shoulder rubs. It was wonderful and all but patience had never truly been his strong suit when it came to interpersonal matters. Skyfire had, in his opinion, been drawing this out far longer than the Seeker would have liked. He laid his talons over the shuttle’s servos and offered his most disarming smile. “But you have been so cooped up lately and Lord Megatron has been working you far too hard for my tastes. How about a break?” 

 

~01100110011010010110111001100100~

 

Soundwave knew that tone in Starscream’s voice. It was the planning something tone. He knew that the Seeker had to have been planning something involving this old comrade. He’d have to listen carefully and see when the threat would arise. Distracting the shuttle from his work was not good for efficiency either. The spymaster watched as the Seeker inserted himself between Skyfire and the workbench and slid into his lap slowly. This wasn’t quite what Soundwave had been expecting and neither was the sudden play of Starscream’s talons along wide shoulders to graze at red tipped wings. 

“After all, it has been far too long,” the Seeker’s voice crackled through the slight static of the surveillance equipment. The tone was still there but accompanied by a purr that Soundwave had never heard in Starscream’s tone unless attempting to placate their Master over some offence. 

Skyfire’s nervous chuckle barely made it to the speakers and his whisper did not at all before his lip-plates had slid over Starscream’s and his arms had tangled about the Seeker’s waist. Soundwave could hear the positively lewd moan that Starscream made while rubbing a sharp talon from the shuttle’s wing joint to the base of his neck cables. He could see the slight tremor along Skyfire’s backstrut when he zoomed in and focused the camera more delicately. Suddenly the shuttle pulled back and addressed his companion. “Star, I wanted to…” 

“I know what you wanted to do and I must admit that for such an intelligent mech; you still remain as slow as the day I met you,” Starscream interrupted while pushing their frames closer together. The creak of scraping metal rang clearly through the speakers as Starscream made his mouth more useful against the cables of Skyfire’s neck. The shuttle hummed in approval and spread his digits along the Seeker’s wings in broad sweeps encompassing the tips with just his palms. Those wings pushed up into the touch and the incessant purring of Starscream’s vocoder grew loud enough to reach the speakers. Soundwave debated the usefulness of this particular recording but continued watching anyway. 

Megatron was not going to be pleased about this little discovery. Soundwave couldn’t figure out how this could be part of a greater plot for mutiny but anything was possible when the clever, albeit misguided, Seeker was involved. On the screen Starscream’s legs began to tangle about the shuttle’s waist before Skyfire held his legs and pulled back. “Let’s go back to your quarters, please Star?” he asked, nuzzling their helms together. Soundwave tilted his own helm at the gesture. This was intimate not a closet frag and the fact that the Seeker acquiesced to his request and pulled the larger mech out of the room and into the corridor made Soundwave begin to realize he had stumbled upon something far more valuable than what he had originally intended to find. 

A take over plot was all well and good but it was rare that anyone could say that they had firm leverage over Starscream. He could trick you into thinking you did but this time Soundwave was sure. 

Of course it wouldn’t hurt to make sure he substantiated his claim with more evidence before reporting to Megatron.


	5. Something Wicked

Meanwhile, Starscream and Skyfire found themselves unaware and happily tangled up in each other against the door of Starscream’s quarters. The Seeker was a good distance away from the ground with his legs wrapped around the shuttle’s hips to pull them close together. Their glossae played enticingly against each other as Skyfire began to carefully maneuver them towards the berth. It wasn’t that interfacing against the wall didn’t have its advantages (distinct ones with his height) but he had something different in mind. He wanted to pamper his lover after being gone for so long.

Laying Starscream on his back to loom over him; Skyfire raked his optics over the frame beneath his own. Starscream was gazing up at him with that old teasing smile beginning to play along the edges of his face. Skyfire loved that smile. It was the smile that convinced him to do a lot of stupid things when they were younger in the name of impressing the Seeker. Running his servos over the spread wings he murmured words of love and affection against his lover’s neck cables. Feeling those arms and legs around him again was just perfect and nothing could be better for the moment. Once their war was over they’d be able to get bonded at long last and the idea warmed the last vestiges of permafrost out of his processor. Skyfire paid careful attention to his throat cables and wings, spreading his large hands to encompass the ailerons on either side pulling a shaky moan from the Seeker as he explored. Just as he remembered.

Starscream gasped lightly at the gentle affections that played against the ghost touches of his memory. He knew this feeling; being cherished and doted upon by a lover who truly cared for him. It had been so long that already he felt his valve lubricating with each long stroke of his wing or gentle nip at the outer casing of his spark chamber. His frame grew warmer and warmer with each kiss and lick applied to his neck and shoulder guards. Primus he’d forgotten how good the scientist could be when he put his mind to it.

 “Skyfire,” Starscream whispered against the white plating of his lover’s shoulder. He twined his legs around the shuttle and purred. It was taking too long and as much as he enjoyed the slow, tender touches; Skyfire should know how much it revved his engine. Pulling fast and hard he managed to roll to sit astride Skyfire’s hips and smiled at the shocked look in his blue optics. “I’ve missed you.”

Once upon a time; Skyfire had known all of the Seeker’s little tricks. Things he’d use when he’d grow impatient and want the proceedings to move faster. This particular position change was new and sent shivers up his back-strut as his berth-mate teased along his transformation seams. Starscream moved further down his body and he found the strength to make his vocorder work again.“I missed you too, Star,” he replied through a moan Starscream flicked open his interface panel. His spike fully pressurized and he bit back another moan as Starscream wrapped his servos around it and licked his lip-plates.

Starscream smiled coyly at the shuttle shaking beneath him. There were options that he hadn’t gotten the chance to play with in Primus knew how long. He rolled his servos over each ridge of the spike in his possession, gently drawing his glossa against the tip as he thought about it. Skyfire’s cooling fans hitched loudly before becoming louder and more insistent as Starscream continued to trail his mouth along the captive spike.

“I could suck on it. I remember how much you enjoyed that,” the Seeker purred against him. “But then I’d get carried away like I always do and I am so tired of waiting.” Starscream opened his own interface panel and a slow stream of lubricant ran down his thigh to streak translucent violet against his lover’s white leg plating. Just the sight alone left Skyfire trembling in restraint. He grabbed Starcream by the waist (had his hands always been so huge or did Starscream get smaller?) and hauled him up his frame and sat up to kiss the Seeker. Of course he wasn’t expecting Starscream to just jam himself onto his spike.

“S-Star! Are you okay? You could have hurt yourself you…” Skyfire started to say through a moan before his lip-plates were crushed in a kiss. He could feel the shivers running along his lover’s wings and hear his cooling vents flare fully open since the frame in his arms was nearly burning to the touch. Did Starscream need this that badly? Skyfire pulled out of the kiss with a shaky intake and stared down at his Starscream who looked up at him in a mixture of pain and pleasure and this strange, detached wonder. “I love you,” Skyfire said before kissing him again.

Skyfire was right, Starscream COULD have hurt himself if it didn’t feel so good just to be this close again. He didn’t need to walk anywhere right now anyway. Starscream moaned in the back of his throat at the feeling; every node in his valve being tripped at once and knowing for a fact that he didn’t have all of it inside just made him wriggle in the shuttle’s tight grip to try to get more. Any lonely tryst with Megatron could easily be topped by just the memory of Skyfire and he pushed down against the shuttle impatiently.

Finally the larger mech seemed to get the message and grabbed Starscream’s aft to lift him slowly and push him back down, drawing a static filled moan from both of them. Grabbing Skyfire’s shoulders, Starscream pulled himself up again and slammed himself back down and drew an actual wail from his own throat. It had been too long, no more hesitation, they could draw it out later and make slagging love when they had time but right now Starscream just wanted to be reminded of what he had been missing over the long centuries. He didn’t realize that he’d been putting voice to his thoughts (such a bad habit) until he looked up at the slow copy of his own “planning something” smirk spread itself across Skyfire’s face plates. “S-sky?” the Seeker asked as the shuttle drew one of his legs into the crook of his elbow joint and raised it; opening Starscream’s legs wider.

“Just giving you what you want, love,” Skyfire whispered back before thrusting hard into the Seeker’s valve and not stopping. Starscream cried out loudly, vocorder cracking over the pitch, and his valve tightened reflexively as each triggered node set his neural net on fire and his EM field tangled with Skyfire’s until he wasn’t sure where he ended and the shuttle began. Starscream was sure his vocalizer would short out before they were done but he continued to wail and scream Skyfire’s name as they moved against each other, electricity dancing over their plating.

Skyfire, for his part, reveled in watching his Seeker’s face. Mouth agape and eyes wide and rolling in pleasure; Starscream was always beautiful but never more so than when he was lost in the sensations that bombarded his frame. The shuttle moaned and nipped at the Seeker’s neck again as they moved. It wasn’t going to last very much longer but they had all of their lives to continue. But he slowed down just in time to watch Starscream seize up in overload and scream his name loud enough he could see sparks come from his throat cables. Falling into oblivion with his lover was always the easiest thing in the world after hearing his name said like that.

 

Megatron stared at the screen long after the two fliers cuddled against each other. Soundwave and the Eradicon to his right remained silent as he contemplated the scene presented to him. A deep frown crossed his face. “Good work Soundwave, this information will be useful if it is needed. It seems as though our Second in Command has forgotten to mention things to me again,” Megatron said before turning to walk to the command deck. “I will need to speak with Starscream alone in one solar cycle. Drone, you make sure to inform him of this, I have been made aware that you are his usual assistant so make sure he is not late.”

The Warlord and his Spy left the room in close succession, leaving Steve to both wallow in self pity and wonder what Megatron actually had in mind.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took a long time but testing got in the way so have a little sex. Hope you all enjoyed and the next chapter shouldn't take quite as long.


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